Tiara Me Sue

It started out innocently enough; I woke up, rolled over, and grabbed my phone. I checked Facebook first, and that was all I needed. Oh, look! Michelle invited me to a Holiday Sip-n-Shop! What is this about? How much alcohol is involved? Nice! Get all your holiday shopping done in one place while you enjoy a glass of wine! It sounds like fun, but I don’t think I’m available that day. Oh, look! Facebook generously lists similar venues at the bottom of the page! (How much alcohol is involved?) I do like craft fairs (and alcohol, duh), and it’s always nice to go to at least one during the holidays. Then I started to think about my daughter, that she would enjoy something like that – minus the alcohol, of course. So I kept looking.  (I do think of my kids once in a while.) And I scrolled too far and reached the pictures posted by the BaHa Brothers’ Sandbar Grill – the host location of Michelle’s event. Of course, I forgot all about her when I saw this pictur...

Introducing “Tiara Me Sue” – my new blogging name! Technically, it’s more of a re-introduction; I used the name almost 5 years ago as a blog title ( link – here). I can’t take credit for the name, it was given to me by a friend with permission to use – but it  is  clever, and it does fit. It fits more than I realized, too; hence this change. The backstory, my history with tiaras, can be found in that blog ( click here ), but I’ve realized since then that there is more to it. As a writer, I know what it’s like to try to build an audience, a fan base, even a platform. My blog for the most part has been a haphazard combination of strong opinions, silly observations, and a  lot  of self-indulgence. Outside of saying I did it to humor myself, I couldn’t really describe it succinctly. My audience (if you will) consisted of friends who also believed in humoring me (and I love them for it). A little over a year ago I realized that I had to change the...

I have friends who regularly say things like, “People suck” and “I hate people” and – unless I’m singing a song from “Scrooge” – you will never hear me say anything like that. Sure, I vent and bitch and whine about people, but overall I believe we are all good. I will go one step further and say that I think the world is a wonderful place. A ‘fucking cheerleader’ can’t change her pom-poms. - but she can drop them occasionally. I sat in some ugly traffic today. Mind you, I drive for a living and I sit in traffic regularly , but today’s commute home was especially ugly. Local peeps know how bad route 24 can get; today, I think it outdid itself. You all know what it’s like when the traffic is bad, and how some people will go to great lengths to get out of it. They cut people off dangerously, they weave in and out of the lanes, they play ‘bully’ and try to use their vehicle to move others out of their way, they’ll chase emergency vehicles that may have to fight their way t...

Yesterday's day off was the direct result of the major work snafu that happened the day before, keeping me out much longer and later than scheduled - the cherry on top of dark week. Today's day off was scheduled, and still taken. We all know it takes more than one day to recover and to make up for everything else the ball was dropped on, and I already know I will not catch up on all I didn't do last week. Knowing that, I gave myself a full-day pass yesterday and made today a day to get some things done with the promise that I will be happy with whatever I get done, however little it is. That being said, yesterday's “nothing” involved some old-school curling of my hair with the silly, squishy wraps you wear to bed. Why? Because I still had them and was trying to decide if I should keep them; because they were there; because I needed to see that I was able to finally ‘do’ my hair again after last year’s often-cried-over haircut; because even when I'm doing nothin...

I set up my treadmill today. - I can already feel the fear and panic emanating from you that those words evoke. Susie is exercising? Has hell frozen over? What next? Is she going to start cooking? (God, no!) Relax, nothing crazy will come of this. I will not start buying spandex workout wear and videoing my ass while I jog (because there will be no jogging, I guarantee you that). I will not post times or speed, or brag about what a great workout I got today. The treadmill is a means to an end; any health benefits are truly way down the list of what I wanted one for – I can be honest about that (besides, anyone who knows my eating habits knows that). Two of my favorite relaxing pastimes are driving and walking. I’m lucky enough to drive for a job-needed-to-support-me-while-I-work-on-what-I-really-want-to-do-in-my-‘spare’-time, but I don’t have enough time to take a walk when I feel like it – plus, I live in New England; ¾ of the year I don’t have the choice to even ...

Certain little things are big things to me; the jewelry I wear and the color of my nail polish always mean something. Facebook reminded me of a blog post I wrote two years ago today regarding the significance of my jewelry; I didn't read it again, because I remembered the events of the night that prompted it. I was thinking about it, though, as I repainted my nails tonight. I painted them at the beginning of last week, using what I consider my 'signature' shade of pink, but a softer, baby pink and I was aware that the quieter shade than my usual was indicative of an excitement I was trying to keep somewhat tempered. Wear the color that gives me confidence, but keep it low-key. Fear. My nails and my jewelry (rings, specifically) are little big details to me because I see my hands all the time; on a steering wheel, on a keyboard, or holding a pen on a piece of paper. Seeing something that means something positive to me, or just seeing something shiny or sparkly makes...

This morning I decided that my day off would be mostly devoted to things I wanted to get done, rather than things I had to get done. (Mostly. I can’t leave everything unattended.) Even if my next day off is spent grumbling about having to finally get to the have-tos-that-I-should-have-done-sooner, I deserve a break; have-tos on the day off only make it another work day.  I chose to organize my writing/craft area so that when I do have free time, I’ll be able to just get into whatever project I want to work on. Instead of music, I decided to listen to an audiobook. I will not give the title away because it doesn’t matter, but I will say the book falls under the broad ‘Self-Help’ category, having to do with the also-broad subjects of creativity and bravery. The subject matter had to do with ideas I’d written about in my blog and enjoy thinking about – a rather funny thought, that what I write may be considered self-help, although I will admit writing about certain things hel...